Day 25 - Casablanca

A free day today! All day to finalize our projects, which we present tomorrow. But also time to just be in Casablanca on our own terms. Some of us holed up and worked all day, some headed to the Quartier Habbous for a taste of old Casablanca. Some went to a hammam, others to take in the Museum of Moroccan Judaism. Whichever way our days went, we all met up for our final dinner together. Our meeting time was pushed up because of dire warnings about traffic and general mayhem due to a "high-profile soccer match." Our biggest security threat, however, was a couple of boys in front of the restaurant trying to hustle some dirhams.

Dinner was at La Basmane, and the moment we passed by the zellige columns and through the intricately carved wooden door, we knew we were in for a treat. As we sat ourselves at two beautifully set tables, we realized that we were the only ones in the restaurant. Of course we were! No Moroccan would even think of 7 PM as dinner time.

Our meal began with harira, a soup with tomatoes, lentils and chickpeas. It is standard fare here and I wondered why we hadn't encountered this zesty soup until this, our last day! I gave up trying to guess what spices made it so delicious, and ate every last bite.

Next we were presented with kefta, the wonderful spiced meat kebabs and a farewell to Morocco couscous, Dessert was a plate of cookies and a bowl of fresh fruit. We lingered over our tea afterward, knowing that after tonight, our time together was about to change significantly. a last "Yallah" took us to the bus and back to the hotel.